The consensus top three prospects for the 2011 NFL draft, defensive linemen Da'Quan Bowers, Nick Fairley and Marcell Dareus, all come with their share of concerns. And there are even bigger questions surrounding quarterbacks Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert.

That brings up another question: Why don't the Carolina Panthers make history by making LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson the No. 1-overall pick?

In the 75 years of the NFL's annual draft, no cornerback has gone No. 1 overall. The only defensive back to get that honor is Gary Glick, a safety drafted by Pittsburgh in 1956.

The same year, a Colts quarterback named Johnny Unitas was just getting warmed up as a rookie and was about to set a new standard for passing in football. Fifty-five years later, the NFL is a full-fledged passing league.

With that in mind, passers, pass protectors and pass rushers have been hot commodities of late, with one going first overall in each of the past 14 drafts. Looking at the impact of shutdown cover men such as the Jets' Darrelle Revis and Raiders' Nnamdi Asomugha in recent seasons, it should be prime time to jump on Peterson, a 6-1, 211-pound ballhawk with great speed and similar physical skills.

The case for Peterson

When talking to Peterson, it's easy to see he is passionate about being a game-changer. He is confident his size, speed and explosiveness will allow him to remain a playmaker in the NFL — as both a cornerback with a nose for interceptions and punt returner with a great feel to get downfield.

"My mindset is to turn my defense into offense," Peterson told Sporting News. "When I get a turnover, I want to turn that into field position or points."

His ball skills remind some of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, and like Sanders he also offers great coverage skills in man-to-man and "off" zone schemes.

Former Jets and Chiefs coach Herm Edwards, an NFL defensive back from 1977-86, had a chance to watch many of Peterson's games in the SEC and watched him lock down the best of the best in college.

"When you look at a cornerback, it's 'Can the guy take over a game?'" said Edwards, who is now an analyst for ESPN. "He is a special player with instincts you just can't teach."

The case against Peterson

There is good reason why a quarterback, more often than not, is drafted first overall: Quarterbacks touch the ball on every offensive play.

"Franchise quarterback trumps all," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "So if the Panthers are not buying into (Jimmy) Clausen and if they do believe Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton is a franchise quarterback, they have to take the quarterback at No. 1."

As good as Revis or Asomugha are, they only can take away one receiver at a time. An elite cornerback typically is called upon to make only a handful of plays per game, and once he develops a "shutdown" reputation, he sees even fewer passes thrown to his side. For example, Asomugha has only three interceptions over the past four seasons because so few quarterbacks even dare to challenge him.

As important as it is to have one high-quality cornerback, it's also critical to have a high quantity of solid cornerbacks. In contrast to a pass-rush end or disruptive defensive tackle, opponents can game plan to avoid one defensive back.

"The theory is you can always throw away from a corner," Mayock said. "You can't run away from or throw away from a dominant defensive lineman."

Even though the Panthers' secondary is strong, adding Peterson to a group that includes Richard Marshall and Charles Godfrey would give Carolina one of the league's finest young groups of playmakers. As a bonus, the team also would get a dynamic and much-needed return specialist.

Neither of the top two quarterbacks, Newton nor Gabbert, is "can't-miss prospect." And if general manager Marty Hurney and new coach Ron Rivera don't think Bowers will be the next Julius Peppers and remain wary of the boom-or-bust nature of defensive tackles, Peterson could get the call.

The reality, however, is the Panthers are the wrong team to help Peterson make history, becoming the first cornerback to go No. 1. With so many other weaknesses, team officials are unlikely to make a defensive strength even stronger.

And when the Panthers pass on Peterson on April 28, another team then will become the happy recipient of the best player in the draft.